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1 Ngomnyaka wesikhombisa uJehoyada waqunga isibindi. Wenza isivumelwano labalawuli bamakhulu embuthweni: o-Azariya indodana kaJerohamu lo-Ishumayeli indodana kaJehohanani, lo-Azariya indodana ka-Obhedi, loMaseya indodana ka-Adaya kanye lo-Elishafathi indodana kaZikhiri. 2 Bangena kulolonke elakoJuda, baqoqa abaLevi kuyo yonke imizi yakoJuda labayizinhloko zezimuli zako-Israyeli. Ekufikeni kwabo eJerusalema, 3 ibandla lonke lenza isivumelwano lenkosi ethempelini likaNkulunkulu.
UJehoyada wathi kubo, “Indodana yenkosi izabusa, njengoba uThixo wathembisa abayinzalo kaDavida. 4 Ngakho nanku okumele likwenze: Ingxenye yesithathu yenu baphristi labaLevi abalinda ngeSabatha bafanele balinde eminyango, 5 eyinye ingxenye yesithathu esigodlweni somndlunkulu kanye lenye njalo ingxenye yesithathu ezalinda eSangweni leSisekelo, kuthi wonke amanye amadoda abesemagumeni ethempeli likaThixo. 6 Kakho ozangena ethempelini likaThixo ngaphandle kwabaphristi labaLevi abazabe besemsebenzini; labo bezangena ngoba behlanjululwe, kodwa wonke amanye amadoda azalinda lokho azabe ekutshengiswe nguThixo. 7 AbaLevi bazahonqolozela inkosi, ngulowo lalowo wabo ehlomile. Loba ngubani ozangena ethempelini kumele abulawe. Lingaxekelani lenkosi loba kungaphi lapho ezabe ikhona.”
8 AbaLevi lawo wonke amadoda akoJuda benza khonokho kanye ababekutshelwe nguJehoyada umphristi. Kwaba ngulowo lalowo wathatha abantu bakhe, kulabanye ababesiyaqalisa amazopho abo ngeSabatha labanye ababetshayisa ngemva kwamazopha abo ngoba uJehoyada umphristi wayelokhu engakakhululi loba iviyo elilodwa. 9 Wasenika abalawuli bamaviyo amabutho alikhulu imikhonto lamahawu amakhulu lamancinyane ayekade engawenkosi uDavida ayesethempelini likaNkulunkulu. 10 Wasemisa wonke amadoda, ngamunye ephethe izikhali zakhe ezandleni, ezingelezele inkosi eduze kwe-alithari lethempeli, kusukela eceleni langezansi kusiya enyakatho yethempeli.
11 UJehoyada lamadodana akhe basebeveza indodana yenkosi njalo bayethesa umqhele; bayiqhubela lencwadi yesivumelwano bayibeka yaba yinkosi. Bayigcoba bavungama bathi: “Mpilonde nkosi!”
12 U-Athaliya uthe esizwa umsindo wabantu begijima njalo behalalisa inkosi, wasuka waya kubo ethempelini likaThixo. 13 Lakanye wayibona inkosi imi ensikeni yayo ngasemangenelweni. Izikhulu labavutheli bamacilongo besekele inkosi, njalo bonke abantu belizwe bejabula bevuthela amacilongo, kanye labahlabeleli bephethe izinto zokuhlabelela bekhokhela emkhosini wokuhaya inkosi. U-Athaliya wadabula izigqoko zakhe njalo wamemeza ethi: “Umvukela! Umvukela!”
14 UJehoyada umphristi wathumela abalawuli bamaviyo amabutho alikhulu, ababelawula amabutho, wathi: “Mkhupheleni phandle u-Athaliya phakathi kwamaviyo kuthi loba ngubani omlandelayo limbulale ngenkemba.” Ngoba umphristi wayethe, “Lingambulaleli ethempelini likaThixo.” 15 Ngakho bambamba esefikile emangenelweni eSango laMabhiza emagumeni esigodlo, njalo kulapho abambulalela khona.
16 UJehoyada wasesenza isivumelwano sokuthi yena kanye labantu lenkosi bazakuba ngabantu bakaThixo 17 Bonke abantu baya ethempelini likaBhali, balidilizela phansi, babhidliza lama-alithare akhe lezithombe zakhe, babulala uMathani umphristi kaBhali phambi kwama-alithare.
18 UJehoyada wabeka abalindi bethempeli likaThixo ezandleni zabaphristi, ababengabaLevi, bona uDavida ayevele ebenzele amazopho abo ethempelini, ukuze balethe iminikelo yokutshiswa kaThixo njengokulotshwa kwayo eMthethweni kaMosi, kulokujabula lokuhlabelela njengokulaya kukaDavida. 19 Wahlalisa njalo abalindiminyango emasangweni ethempeli likaThixo ukuze kungangeni loyedwa ongahlanjululwanga.
20 Wasethatha abalawuli bamabutho alikhulu, lezikhulu lababusi babantu kanye labantu bonke belizwe basebeletha inkosi ethempelini likaThixo. Bangena esigodlweni ngeSango elingaPhezulu bahlalisa khona inkosi esihlalweni soBukhosi, 21 njalo bonke abantu elizweni bajabula. Kwaba lokuthula kulolonke idolobho ngoba u-Athaliya wayesebulewe ngenkemba.